The present disclosure relates to a system that detachably 10 installs to automotive vehicles for transporting articles without compromising, but instead maintaining the integrity of a mounting surface, and more particularly, to a carrier system that detachably installs to vehicles with a vacuum assembly for transporting articles.
Carriers or racks are commonly used with automotive vehicles to transport various recreational equipment, such as, bicycles, skis, snowboards, surfboards, and the like. Conventional carriers are mounted in one of these locations: to the roof, to the trunk, the rear window, to the truck bed, or to a trailer hitch. To withstand the large forces on the carrier and the supported articles while the vehicle is 20 moving, conventional carriers must securely attach to the vehicle. Either the carrier is permanently attached to the vehicle with fasteners, or removeably attached to the vehicle using brackets, straps, or latches. However, both methods have disadvantages.
Permanently installed carriers can be expensive to purchase and install, and typically require modifications to the vehicle. In addition, they cannot be removed. Detachable carriers are difficult and time-consuming to install and must be repeatedly installed and removed. Also, they are susceptible to damaging the vehicle during installation and use due to the plates and straps applied to the vehicle undertension which causes denting and scratching. If improperly installed, damage can occur to the vehicle and the articles being transported. Typically, conventional racks are designed for use with a specific make and model of vehicle. Therefore, consumers cannot use a single rack for multiple vehicles, at least not without adaptors or modifications. As a result, manufacturers must produce an increased number of parts, and retailers must provide an ever increasingly complex list of parts options lists to consumers, which also increases the cost.
There is a long felt need in the marketplace for a bike rack that is compatible with sports cars and other vehicles that have very limited space available for attachment. For example, convertible vehicles typically only have a small rear trunk area available for attachment. Therefore, a carrier that is easily and reliably installed and removed from a multiple vehicles including vehicles with small attachment footprints is needed that maintains the integrity of a mounting surface.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.